Poll: Most Americans Don’t Think It’s Too Easy to Buy Guns

Poll: Most Americans Don’t Think It’s Too Easy to Buy Guns

The pro-gun control crowd tosses a lot of nonsense into the media spin cycle regarding firearms; we all know this. One of the most frustrating things though is the absurd talking point that it’s easier to buy a gun than it is to buy a candy bar–or a pack of gum. I never knew buying a pack of Juicy Fruit required a 4473 form with the ATF.

Maybe the reason that this talking point has been hurled at this consistently whenever there is a gun-related tragedy is because at one time it actually resonated. A new CNN/ORC poll found that between 1989-1993, 67 percent of Americans, on average, thought it was too easy to get a gun. By the same average and time frame, just 25 percent thought it was about right.

That percentage could be possibly due to the high rates of crime, especially gun-related homicides that peaked in 1993. As of now, firearm-related homicides are down 39 percent; Pew found that it decreased by 49 percent. Overall, violent crime continues its downward trend. Also, those who feel that the laws make it too easy to buy a gun have also experienced a downturn.

Right now, 49 percent of Americans feel that existing laws make it “about right” for law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms; 10 percent think it’s too difficult; and 41 percent say it’s too easy. Concerning expanding background checks, on average, 75 percent said it was either extremely, very or somewhat likely that it would prevent the mentally ill from obtaining firearms; a debate that should happen given the propensity for mass shooters to have serious mental health issues. Granted, it’s a long and serious debate, but anti-gunners don’t seem to want to come to the table for now. Sixty-five percent, on average, said that it would prevent criminals from getting guns, which is already law. Yet, the last part is where conservatives, and those who have pro-Second Amendment views, are concerned; will expanding background checks make it harder for law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional rights: 71 percent said it’s likely that will happen, whereas only 28 percent said that it’s not.